Letters to Carla and Lisa: Gratitude and positivity in prime time

Thank you.

It feels simple, maybe even too small a phrase for everything I want to say, but it’s the truest, most honest place to start. Thank you. Thank you for telling a story that felt deeply personal, even though you didn’t know it was mine.

Watching the characters navigate the aching weight of grief, the quiet devastation of loss, and then against all odds, the return of love... it was like watching my own journey reflected back to me in high definition. You captured what it means to feel like your world has ended, and then to find the courage to rebuild something new. Not the same, not a replica of what was, but something real. Something healing. Seeing that mirrored in the storylines didn’t just feel validating, it felt like confirmation that my story was worth telling too.

In the complicated, beautiful mess of fictional drama, you made space for truth. And in doing so, you made space for people like me to feel seen.

But what I never expected, what completely blindsided me in the best way, was the community I found along the way. I stumbled into a group of people who weren’t just fellow fans, but kind, beautiful, genuine people that have become friends for life. The kind of people who make silences feel comfortable. The ones who answer messages at 2am without judgment (or maybe it's because all our sleep schedules are messed up waiting for spoilers LOL). Who celebrate the good days with you and help carry the weight of the bad ones. Without them, I genuinely don’t know where I’d be. I didn’t know I needed them until I had them, and now I can’t imagine life without them.

To those of you who watch, comment, engage, and dive deep with me into episodes and storylines, thank you. Whether you’re silently lurking or loudly live-tweeting, you’re part of this beautiful corner of the internet we’ve built. To the readers and supporters of SwarlaHQ, yes, somehow I’ve ended up spending practically all my free time writing passionately about two fictional characters from the world’s longest-running soap opera, I see you. I appreciate you. I laugh-cringe with you when plots go off the rails, and I celebrate with you when we get the soft scenes.

This was never the plan. But honestly? I wouldn't have it any other way.

Back in the 1990s we had a TV advert in the UK for a particular orange fizzy drink. It involved an innocent bystander sipping the aforementioned beverage, when a rather rotund gentleman covered head to toe in orange body paint slapped him around the face. The poor man was left looking like a very stunned mullet. In a fortunately less orange way, Swarla had a similar effect on me last September. Blind-sided, confounded, bewildered - you name it, I felt it.

Having watched Coronation Street for, well, a long time, many many characters, in their own unique ways, have struck a chord. They’ve even been in my dreams (I once dreamt I was filming a scene with Eileen Grimshaw in the Rovers. Sue Cleaver laughed at me because I apparently “didn’t do a good job of holding up the Union Jack flags and that was the whole reason I was there”) but anyway I digress. It’s the attachment to the characters - characters I’ve laughed at, cried with, and related to, that make me tune in week after week. But no characters have seized me by the aorta in quite the way Carla Connor and Lisa Swain have.

Like many others I first suspected something would happen between them whilst watching ‘the car scene’ in May 2024. (I applaud those who suspected something before this. I’m not the most perceptive, especially when it comes to affairs of the heart.) The tension was then gently heightened with thigh tappies, comforting arm touches and Lisa repeatedly finding herself “just in the area” of the factory. Ali King and Vicky Myers managed to produce more chemistry than a hundred Walter Whites. In September it was officially confirmed that ‘something’ was going to happen between Carla and Lisa and the Danielle Baguley photo dropped.

I cannot explain what happened next without sounding like an utter loon. My sleep patterns became highly irregular; my thoughts revolved around one thing only. (Usually this one thing would be mealtimes, but even these became seemingly insignificant.) I functioned but in a very dysfunctional way. I joined a Discord group chat (“what’s a Discord?”) and quickly realised Swarla-itis had afflicted others around the globe. I felt less alone but not any less mad. I had merely surrounded myself with like-minded people.

September, as it so often does, became October and we had the moment of The Moment. It was as tense, poignant and beautiful as I had hoped. The Moment became Vera…and angst…Josephine Bloggs…bruised ribs…drunk Lisa. Don’t Get Dressed. It was around this time I noticed breathing became difficult. I wouldn’t recommend oxygen deprivation especially when one’s brain is already slightly deranged. And this was merely the start of the rollercoaster.

I naïvely thought that the anticipation and butterflies when watching their scenes would dissipate over time. I thought that I would regain some level of normality in my life. Nope. I have instead managed to use my time in the most useless of ways. I have spent far too much time online, on social media, watching edits, and far too much time chatting online to people I don’t know from Adam Barlow. I managed to move from one hemisphere to another with Swarla ludicrously at the forefront of my mind. (I’m genuinely curious as to what I absent-mindedly packed in the shipping container and also what was disposed of in my preoccupied ruthlessness. I have a bad feeling about that perfectly good toaster.)

I like rationale, reasoning and logic. The Swarla tsunami has defied all of these things. And that’s disturbed me at times. Have I questioned my sanity multiple times over? Absolutely! Would I change any of it? Absolutely not. I have somehow (I really don’t know how) managed to find myself part of a lovely friendship group which I treasure and cherish. I have learned and realised much about myself that had previously been suppressed. Swarla has been life-changing.

Seeing two women of my age range in a healthy, loving relationship has been so absorbing. Two women who have been through so much respective grief and trauma, keep getting up, dusting themselves off and retaining belief that tomorrow can be a better day. I’m pulling for both to find the happiness they deserve. (Of course I’d be lying if I didn’t mention there’s an aspect of living vicariously, hoping one day what they have found in each other I can also find in real life.)

Both characters have shown traits we can identify with; for each of their strengths they also have flaws. Stubborn, loving, protective, defensive, principled, vulnerable, strong, witty, brave, sensitive, awkward…it’s all so relatable. Watching Swarla scenes feels like the best kind of comfort blanket, where I envelope myself in an “everything’s ok with the world” feeling. I will always be so grateful to Ali, Vicky, Sydney, David, Ryan, writers, producers, anyone and everyone who has played their part in bringing Swarla to us. Thank you all.

If you as a fan are reading any of this and nodding your head then you obviously know. You know the butterflies and excited tension. You know entire scenes off by heart. You know the seemingly interminable wait during a drought. You know when you’ve been Swarla’d.

The End. Checking self into asylum.

As a soap lover, and an American who became bored with the offerings over here, I turned to British soaps years ago. I’ve always felt a sort of switched at birth connection to the country and honestly could kick myself for not getting into its soaps sooner. At any rate, that’s how it started. However, as an out lesbian of a certain age, I’m always looking to consume representative media for a very specific reason: I grew up without it. So, no doubt Swarla would’ve shown up on my radar whether or not I was already watching.

I think what makes them most appealing to me is that they’re in my age group. That’s not something I see a lot of. Most WLW ships are younger. But us older queer women do exist and it’s refreshing to see. And then of course there’s the actual talent the actresses possess which is, quite honestly, incredible and undeniable. Toss in a little backstory trauma, complicated personalities, and plenty of angst, and it’s right up my street.

I see myself in both of these characters. I understand Lisa’s instinct to run when it all becomes too real. I get the kind of strength it takes for someone like Carla to continually have to pick herself up again and again. I understand how they both have to compartmentalize.

And in addition to all of this, Swarla gave me something very unexpected. This is where it gets just a smidge personal, so feel free to skip this part. October 7th was my wedding anniversary and in 2024 it was the first wedding anniversary since my marriage ended. Try as I might to move on with things, the first wedding anniversary after your marriage ends is always going to be a tough one, right? “The Moment” provided me with a much needed distraction that day and took the sting out of it…even if only for a moment.

See what I did there? And I never could’ve imagined that it would bring so many wonderful people into my life, friends who have become some of my biggest supporters.

So, Swarla means the world to me because they found me across the world, lifted my spirits (and continue to do so), brought new people into my life who I now consider family, and showed me that middle aged, broken hearted women can still find happiness amidst all of the crap that gets thrown our way. If that’s not something to cheer for, I don’t know what is.

Trying to put into words what two fictional characters mean to you is incredibly difficult. How do you explain to anyone - and still sound sane - that you continue to exist because two women, that aren't even real, help you through the hardest of days? It's an impossible task.

They bring me a sense of calm that words simply cannot describe and I am incredibly grateful for that. That sense of calmness may look like a slightly unhinged yelling cat at times but that's besides the point.

What I'm most grateful for is the friendships I have made because of these two incredible women. Anxiety takes a lot from me, but I have gained so much over the past year in the form of understanding, supportive and beautiful people as a result of this show. The gifts of friendship and those moments of calmness I've been given is something I could never repay Corrie, Ali or Vicky enough for.

So I think the only thing that I can say is, in the words of Dido, Thank you.

I’ve always been a Coronation Street fan and so have plenty of my family before me. “Katie, shut up. Emmerdale and Corrie are coming on” I’ve been hit with many storylines in the past.. Sophie and Sian.. Kate and Rana.. I even had a nice relation to Tina and Tommy Duckworth.. yeah we don’t talk about that. But this! Carla Connor and Lisa Swain.. I’ve never been more besotted with a soap couple. Send me to heaven and chuck rainbow confetti all over me.

I’ve always loved Carla as a character and supported whatever relationship she’s been in. Well.. actually not frank.. not Tony… not Paul… okay never mind.

Anyways.. This storyline drew me in straight from the start. Ali and Vicky's chemistry and partnership is something undeniable and us as soap fans are lucky peoples. I remember sitting there at 9pm straight after the police station scene “it’s just something they say in the cop shows”.. Both of their smiles as they walked away… This is so on dude. Been in love ever since. I connect with both characters in different ways. Carla’s dry witty attitude and I like to think golden heart too and Lisa’s way of pushing people away when she’s hurt or down, and obviously.. lesbianism. Not only did I find a love for these two characters and an excitement to watch their scenes I also found my own family. A community of people who love and support each other through everything. I never ever felt like i fitted before until I found this and my life has been so much richer because of it.

Thank you ITV, Thank you Coronation Street, Thank you producers, writers, crew who make this so special.

Thank you Alison King, Thank you Vicky Myers, Thank you Sydney Martin, Thank you Ryan Prescott, Thank you David Neilson and whoever else has brought this story to life and Thank you most of all to the one and only Kate Brooks! You are legend and we adore what you do.

Let’s keep this little family going and enjoy this rollercoaster of a journey.

Thank you for reading, nerds.

I can’t remember the exact point when I first started watching soaps, but for as long as I can remember, they’ve always been part of my evenings, (or weekends back in the days of the Sunday omnibus) I’ve always hated missing an episode, still do, but especially when it comes to Corrie! Maybe it’s because it’s set so close to Liverpool that it’s always felt more relatable somehow? More familiar?

Over the years there’s been so many characters I’ve loved for different reasons, but right at the top of that list is Carla Connor. I was captivated from the moment she arrived – enter crimbo drinks fairy!! A strong, badass woman, a powerhouse with hidden vulnerability and a heart of gold. And let’s be real, she’s incredibly beautiful. How could you not love Carla? She’s been through hell and still has the biggest heart on the street.

Like many others, I always dreamed of seeing Carla fall in love with a woman. Nearly 20 years later, that dream came true - and it’s turned out to be even more incredible than I ever imagined. 

Lisa Swain is such a brilliant character in her own right, the perfect combination of strong and determined, hilarious and dorky. She’s the perfect match for Carla. I remember watching their early scenes together and thinking “ok these two are so alike, they’d make such an amazing power couple” and then The Car Scene™ happened, and I just knew where we were headed. I felt an instant wave of excitement, not just because it was something I’d hoped for for so long, but because I could feel how special it was going to be. 

The fact that their journey has felt so respectful has made it even more meaningful. There was no cheating, no unnecessary drama involving a male character, no shame, just two people falling in love and navigating that like any couple would. 

At (very) nearly 40, seeing queer representation that feels this real and sincere is something I don’t think I’ve experienced. The only couple who’ve made me feel this way before were Helen and Nikki from Bad Girls, and to me, Swarla feel like their elevated, modern-day equivalent. It almost feels like they’re in their own soap within a soap, and being handled with such care by the writers and the actors. It doesn’t go unnoticed and it’s overwhelming in the best way to feel so truly seen in these characters and their storyline, especially on a platform as huge as a soap. It may only be a soap storyline to some, but it’s incredibly powerful to us.

Carla and Lisa each represent different aspects of the queer experience, but together they show the beauty and depth of a relationship between two women. And if Carla Connor can find her soulmate at nearly 50, then maybe there’s still hope for finding mine!

Swarla bring so much joy to so many people, for various reasons and I hope we get to watch them grow and love each other for many, many years to come!

I just ADORE Carla Connor. That is all.